1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the technical and marketing challenges of satellite and cellular radio-based technology, including remote diagnostics and allowing for management by qualified personnel should a problem arise.
2. Background of Related Art
In a consumer-grade service offering, such as the emerging satellite radio market as well as the developing cellular radio market, it must be assumed that the consumer does not understand nor have the capability to diagnose and solve problems in these systems. When problems do arise, the consumer typically places a call to a call-center where a ‘qualified’ attendant is available to assist the user in diagnosing the problem and arriving at a solution for the same. This is a costly model as it makes lengthy use of a manned call-center.
For instance, to properly accomplish this task, a call-center attendant will attempt to gain insight into the consumer's system by asking relevant usage questions of the user, as well as questions relating to ascertaining a description of the problem(s).
To collect the usage pattern of receivers, the service provider normally has to do it by mail, phone based survey, or deploy a service technician into a given area. However, this results in high cost, is time consuming, and ultimately may be inaccurate. Also, all users are not necessarily active in response to such methods.
In a known solution, user applications that allow support information gathering of a given service are generally not available in Satellite Digital Audio Radio Service (SDARS) and cellular-based services. Data Management and collection tools to date have been provided for personnel that are ‘skilled in the art’ of network management. In most cases, deployment of a service technician into a given area to diagnose an issue is required. This is a time consuming and costly service. Residential applications, however, are consumer focused. Generally, residential consumers have little or no prior network management experience.
Remote management and analysis tools to date have been provided for Network Management personnel that are ‘skilled in the art’ of network management. These network management personnel generally need to be deployed to a given service area, e.g., when a customer complains that the cellular signal is lost, when the signal strength is degraded to an unacceptable level, or when general problems are occurring. Such deployment of a qualified service technician is a costly endeavor.
There is a need for a technique and apparatus for providing efficient, accurate and cost-effective analysis and correction of problems arising in consumer's satellite and cellular radio devices.